From the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Tea Rose, comes a mystery about dark secrets, dirty truths, and the lengths to which people will go for love and revenge. This spellbinding historical ficion romance tells the story of how much a young woman is willing to risk and lose in order to find the truth.
"A twisted tale of secrets, murder, love, and revenge. This historical thriller delivers... [a] fast-paced, tightly written page turner." -USA Today
Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo dreams of becoming a writer—a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly.
Wild aspirations aside, Jo’s life seems perfect until tragedy strikes: her father is found dead. Charles Montfort shot himself while cleaning his pistol. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was a partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun.
The more Jo hears about her father’s death, the more something feels wrong. Suicide is the only logical explanation, and of course people have started talking, but Jo’s father would never have resorted to that. And then she meets Eddie—a young, smart, infuriatingly handsome reporter at her father’s newspaper—and it becomes all too clear how much she stands to lose if she keeps searching for the truth. But now it might be too late to stop.
The past never stays buried forever. Life is dirtier than Jo Montfort could ever have imagined, and this time the truth is the dirtiest part of all.
Initial thoughts: This is a book of starkly contrasting moods, which made These Shallow Graves such a varied read. Jo was so naïve at times (as many upper class girls in the late 19th century would've been), building up a fair amount of situational comedy. On the flip side, there were violent moments that veered into graphic descriptions. And then, just a few pages later, tender moments unfolded.
These Shallow Graves spans several genres — historical fiction, mystery, and romance. You'd think the threads of the plot would get awfully tangled with so much going on. They didn't. Everything fit together quite purposefully, all while keeping on track with the overarching plot.
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Note:I received a finished copy from a local distributor in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
